5 Best Games to Stream on NBA League Pass From the 2019-20 Regular Season

The NBA announced earlier this month they would make NBA League Pass free to access for the coming weeks and months. Among their inventory is every game from this past NBA season. We were in the midst of one of the most entertaining regular seasons in recent memory until the season was postponed, so there are a lot of good choices when thinking about which games would be best to fire up on League Pass and re-live the good old days when live basketball was played. I embarked upon this difficult task for you, reader, because we don't rest on our laurels here at The Big Lead.

Here are five of the best games worth streaming from the 2019-20 regular season. Selections were made based off entertainment value, the actual competitiveness of the game, and any potential off-the-court storylines. Enjoy.

Boston Celtics - Los Angeles Clippers (Both Games)

You can't go wrong with either one of the matchups between two conference championship contenders. Both games went into overtime. The first featured the debut of the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard pairing, while the second featured Jayson Tatum on the hottest streak of his career so far. Both teams were neck-and-neck for every minute of the games. It was truly a playoff atmosphere in both Boston and Los Angeles. Tatum gave the best highlights in both, first crossing up George to hit the game-tying three with the shot clock off, and then scored 17 in the fourth quarter and subsequent overtime periods to win the second. Two of the best games of the year, hands-down.

Houston Rockets 159, Washington Wizards 158

Back in the early days of the season when the Wizards had one of the best offenses in the league, they got into an absolute barn-burner with James Harden and the Rockets. The two squads combined for 317 points in regulation. Harden dropped 59 points on 18-for-32 shooting, while Bradley Beal scored 46 on 14-for-20 from the field. Russell Westbrook had a triple-double. Davis Bertans went 6 of 9 from deep. A total of 13 players from both sides posted double-digit point totals. It was an outrageous game that featured absolutely nothing resembling defense, and it came down to the final seconds. The perfect kind of content to consume if you just want to sit back and watch massive numbers put up. Just keep your finger on the fast-forward button, though-- Harden did have 18 free throws.

Los Angeles Lakers 114, Boston Celtics 112

Another tight matchup between Boston and Los Angeles teams, this game primarily served as Tatum's coming-out party to the national audience. He scored 41 and generally couldn't miss until he air-balled a potential game-tying shot as the clock expired. LeBron James and Anthony Davis weren't about to let the young stud walk away from their building with a win, though; James had 29 points with nine assists and Davis scored 33 with 13 rebounds to pair. The Lakers showed why they were considered the best defensive team in the league by stifling Tatum down the stretch with a barrage of double-teams, and LeBron put the nail in the coffin with a patented 15-foot fadeaway jumper. A great game between two great teams featuring a young star battling against two of the very best the NBA has to offer.

Portland Trail Blazers 129, Golden State Warriors 124

If you choose to pass on watching any Warriors basketball from this season, I wouldn't blame you. But, in my humble opinion, nobody is more fun to watch when they get going than one Damian Lillard. And this was a classic Lillard performance. He set a franchise record with 61 points, including 11 three-pointers. He was cooking all game, and with the Blazers crowd behind him, the energy was palatable. The game peaked when Lillard hit a step-back three directly in his defender's face to tie the game with 15 seconds to go. He then hit another game-tying three in overtime before taking the lead with a pair of free throws. Lillard is an absolute flame-thrower when he has everything working, and this game was just another cinematic experience watching him hit impossible shot after impossible shot.

Milwaukee Bucks 111, Los Angeles Lakers 104

The first highly-anticipated matchup of LeBron James and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, this battle between the NBA's two best teams by record was a fantastic game from start to finish. Giannis hit a career-high five three-pointers, a development that may still spell doom for the rest of the league. The Bucks took a first-half lead before the Lakers fought back in the second half, but every time it felt like they were finally pulling close, Giannis would hit another big shot to keep them at bay. The MVP favorite dropped 34 points and 11 rebounds, while LeBron and Davis combined for 57 points, 22 rebounds, and 16 assists in a losing effort. Crucially, it also included Giannis putting on LeBron's crown after hitting yet another three-pointer-- a moment we'll remember a long time from now. Giannis is gunning for LeBron's place at the top of the league, and this was hopefully only the first of many epic duels between the two.